Jordan: Chief of Party (Syria)
Country: Jordan
Closing date: 18 Aug 2013
Syria Humanitarian Communications Program (HCP)
Position: Chief of PartyLocation: Amman, Jordan, with extensive travelling across the regionDuration: 12 months. Anticipated start date: September 16, 2013Deadline: August 18, 2013
BACKGROUND:
Initially based in Amman, Internews will implement a pan-regional Humanitarian Communications Program (HCP) that will provide Syrian IDPs, refugees, host communities and diaspora groups across the region with vital humanitarian and community information that affects their everyday lives.
Through humanitarian radio broadcasts and TV programs, community participation through SMS/mobile technology, social media channels, crisis mapping, a dedicated online platform and other relevant and secure communication channels, the HCP will disseminate timely, actionable and useful humanitarian information for target audiences about e.g. how to access and register for aid, provision of food, water, shelter, security conditions, referral services, health practices and services, to name a few.
Equally important, the HCP will foster audiences’ participation and bring voices and community feedback into humanitarian operations. The aim is to support 2-way communication between target audiences and humanitarian service providers.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
•Provide overall management, leadership, vision and direction of the program, including budget management, technical oversight and quality assurance, ensuring that all program objectives are met maintaining the highest standards of quality.
•Develop and maintain a keen understanding of the humanitarian situation across the region and the challenges and issues facing effective communications and media with target audiences.
•Manage, inspire and mentor project staff with special focus on overseeing key senior staff responsible for the day-to-day training, production, research, logistics, administration and security of the project. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; addressing complaints and resolving problems; supervising/managing staff in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.
•Cultivate and nurture relationships with local implementing partners, senior humanitarian officials, and relevant local and international government representatives, as required.
•Maintain relationships with donor(s) through reporting, liaison, updates, meetings, and advocacy in Amman and the region.
•Work closely with Internews Humanitarian Director to ensure project follows organizational methodology, integrity and mission.
•Ensure the project is in compliance with all grant and cooperative agreement rules, requirements and regulations as well as with Internews internal policies and procedures.
•Work closely with administrative team in the region and HQ in London and Washington DC to ensure timely and accurate programmatic and financial responsibilities are met.
•Prepare and assemble materials for all reports, including work plans, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and final reports, in compliance with donor guidelines.
•Work with Regional Manager to provide comprehensive draft reports, in English, including all proper M&E data, narrative reports, success stories, quotes and photos
•Support Internews' efforts to build a viable strategy and refunding efforts, as required, including proposal preparations and submissions.
QUALIFICATIONS:
•English language fluency is required.
•Experience in the MENA region and Arabic fluency is highly desired.
•3 years’ experience as Chief of Party (CoP) or 5 years as Deputy Chief of Party (DCoP) or other comparable experience.
•8 years of experience managing projects in conflict, transitional, post-conflict countries, and/or Arab and Islamic countries.
•Very good working knowledge of the mandates and modalities of the international humanitarian sector.
•Significant experience working with media and communications in humanitarian contexts.
•An understanding of the vision/mission, core values and objectives of Internews.
•Understanding of and passion for the area of communications with disaster-affected communities.
•Proven interpersonal and networking skills to liaise authoritatively with figures from the aid and donor communities and host governments.
•Relevant technical expertise i.e. Journalism experience in conflict areas/humanitarian crises, with an emphasis on radio and/or TV production.
•Knowledge of Ushahidi/crisis mapping, SMS, mobile technology and citizen journalism and familiarity with ways to leverage social media.
•Excellent staff management skills: Experience in building and effectively managing and supervising diverse teams of employees and partners across different countries.
•Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills, pro-activeness, creative problem-solving and ethical management.
•Excellent critical thinking, and communication and reporting skills, both written and oral.•Extensive experience managing projects funded by European and US donors or international organizations, in complex environments.
•Demonstrated ability to manage budgets and plan strategically and creatively to meet specified objectives.
•Psychological resilience and a sense of humour.
•Relevant university degree.
The job description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that the post may required but rather to give a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of this position. As the nature of situation will constantly change so, too, may the essential functions of this position.
ABOUT INTERNEWS EUROPE & INTERNEWS HUMANITARIAN COMMUNICATION PROGRAMS:
Internews Europe (www.internews.eu) is an international media development organization whose mission is to empower local media worldwide to give people the news and information they need, the ability to connect, and the means to make their voices heard.
Since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Internews Europe and its sister organization in the US, Internews (www.internews.org), have been present in major humanitarian crises around the world, establishing critical links between affected populations, local media, and humanitarian agencies to provide life-saving information and set up effective two-way communication platforms.
Internews is a founding member and host at its London office of the Communicating with Disaster-Affected Communities (CDAC) Network (www.cdacnetwork.org), a ground breaking cross-sector collaboration between aid agencies, UN organizations, the Red Cross Movement, and media development organizations that recognizes information and 2-way communication as key humanitarian deliverables.
Internews and the CDAC Network believe that COMMUNICATION IS AID - watch this 2-minute animation and see why: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6bB0y8DdYY
Internews Europe is an ECHO partner and is pre-qualified to the DFID’s Rapid Response Facility (RRF).
Follow Internews’ humanitarian work also on Twitter: @jqg @internews and @internewseurope and check news and updates on humanitarian communications through @CDACN and the hashtag #commisaid
How to apply:
Please visit our website - http://www.internews.eu/Careers/Chief-of-Party/
Deadline for applications: August 18, 2013
